Artificial eye



S. MARCUS ARTIFICIAL EYE June 10, 1930.

Filed Feb. 10, 1928 INVENTOR. Samuel Marcy/J I Patented June 10, 1930 UNITED 1 s X'rss;

PATENT arms 7 1 mm. IABCUS, or manhun imw roan, assrenoza :ro amazon mmacrunme co., me, or zmw roax, N. n, acoaroaarron or new YORK 'anrrrxcmn m ll ma... fled February in, 1928." semi ropapasia.

This invention relates to aniimprovement I p having an annular marginal wall 2 projecting in artificial eyes, and particularl to that class of artificial eyes which is in'ten ed for use in toy figures, such as dolls ,and thexlike.

5 An object of the. invention is to provide a sim 1e and practical 's'tructu'reby which a highly natural and human-like appearance is secured and which at the same time is inexpensive to manufacture. o A further object is to construct the eye, and particularly the pupil and iris portions thereof in such manner that the colorings of these features may be readily modified in different eyes, merely by the sn selected parts.

A further objectisto so design the parts that the upil, when viewed from different an les wifi appear toslightly change its shape an to dilate and contract, thus to give almost 2 a life-like appearance;

stitution of different more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious andin part' pointed .out in the course of the following 25 description of the.elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as apart of" this specification, and in which I'haveshown merely a preferred form of embodiment of the invention:

' Fig. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary central sectional view through a portion of an eye constructed in accordance with this inven tion. 7

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating in detached relation the several separate elevention, and

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the'lens or iris element employed.

Referring to the drawings for describing ments proposed'for use according to this in in detail the structure illustrated therein, the

3, of thin sheet ce shade darker, it being provide asubstantially-flat disc like wall 1 forwardly therefrom and merging into the body of the shell, said walls -1 and 2 thus roviding a depression or seat asG at the orward' side of the shell and said seat being in the desired position and of the approxi-,

mate size desired for the iris of the eye.

. Thisshell or body. may be ofany desired material, such as thin sheet metal, sheet celluouter surface to correspond with the desired color for the white of'the eye. This color may continue over theforwardly facing surface of the wall 1 without change or this sur- '60 loid, or the like, and it may be colored on its face may be colored otherwise as may be desired.

'Fitting into the seat G is arranged a thin Other objects and aims of the invention, I" of the iris surrounding the pupil, or it may be transparent to expose a desired color upon the forward face of the wall 1, or it may be semi-transparent and tinted, say a light blue, to co-act with the underlying color of the fordesired for the central portion of the iris surrounding the pupil.

Upon the outer surface of the disc 3 is arranged a ring as 4 andupon the outer surface ward face of wall 1 to give the correct shade of this ring is a second ring as 5, both being of the same external diameter and being received in the seat G. These rings are of different circumferential widths, the ring 5 being of less width than the ring 4 so that when viewed from the front of the eye an inner marginal portion of the ring 4 is visible within the ring 5.

These rings 4 and 5 may be made of any appropriate material and of any desired colors according'to the artistic dictates of the manufacturer. They may be .opa ue, transparent, or semi-transparent, but it as been found that an excellent effect may be obtained by makin them as well as the disc luloicl slightly tinted in color, as for instance blue, the ring 4 being of a tint slightly darker than-the material of the disc 3, and the ringl 5being still another ere noted that by using semi-transparent material of this character the portions of the disc and'rin which overlie each other will have cumulative color value, that is to sa that even if these threewould be lightest. The relative color value of these parts may obviously be altered at like.

will by making the different partsgf slightly differently tinted materials.

Arranged over the open side of the seat G, and servin as a closure for said' seat is a lens H, sai lens being preferably convexed on its outer surface as at 6 to conform substantially to thespherical curvature of the outer surface of the shell, thus completing the spherical contour of said shell.

This lens may be formed of any appropriate material such as glass, celluloid or the It is preferably colorless, but may be of a slightly tinted color if preferred. It may be attached in position upon the shell L by any approved means as by a transparent covering of glass, celluloid, varnish, or other material fitted or applied over its outer surface and over the outer surface of the shell L, as suggested by the dotted line 7, or it may be cemented b its peri heraTl edge to the material of the s ell as indicated at 8, the cover '7 being present or not as preferred.

'In some instances a third ring as 9 may be employed at the joint between the lens and the shell, this ring being preferably of substantially the same material as the rings 4 and 5 but usually being of a considerably darker color or shade so as to constitute a highly contrasting annular line dividing the iris from the white of the eye.

Where the lens is formed of celluloid and the shell L is of celluloid or of celluloidcoated metal, the lens may be very esaily and efficiently attached by applying a suitable dissolvent such as acitone to the joint between the lens and the shell thus causing these parts to become in effect fused together. Where the ring 9 is also of celluloid the acitone will serve to partly dissolve this ring into integral relation with the lensand shell and make an almost invisible joint in which the strong color of the ring 9 is desirably prominent.

The pupil of the eye may be rovided in any appropriate manner but as ereinabove suggested it is a purpose of this invention to cause the pupil to appear to dilate and contract according as it is viewed from different angles and positions. To this end the invention proposes that the lens shall be formed in its inner or rear surface with a central annular depression as 10 of the desired size for the pupil and that the inner surface of being slightly curved radially of their length as clearly seen in Fig. 3. The relatively large inner ends of these grooves or corrugations open into the depression 10, thus causing the rear annular edge or corner of'said depression to be provided with serrations as 12-42, as best seen in-Fig. 1.

The corrugations or scorings on the rear surface of the lens are purposely made somewhat irregular, there being minor radial lines or corrugations between the main corrugations, and all of the corrugations being more or less prominent according as fancy may sug est.

T e depression 10 is filled or coated with a coloring material such as black paint or wax 13 at least some of which extends onto the serrations 12-l2, and it will be thus seen that if the pupil be viewed from directly in front its outlines will be relatively sharp and circular while if viewed more or less sidewise the darkly colored serrations 12-12 nearest to the observer will beprominent, the promi' nence diminishing in. o osite directions from this nearest points Be ause of the irregular character of the serrations and the consequent indefinite line which they define, this will cause the pupil to appear to lose its precise circular contour and slightly dilate or contract according to the changing angle from which the observation is made. I Themagnifying effect of the lens upon these serrations, the refraction of light rays from the encircling angularly disposed surfaces of the corrugations l1, and the defusion of said rays due to the multitude of radial lines produced bythe corrugations, all combine to give an appearance of great depth and to at the same time at least partially obliterate any definite outlines of either the corrugations 11 or the serrations 12. As the point of observation is moved from one position to another the refraction and defusion of light causes a very marked apparent difference in the size and contour of the pupil so that an almost life-like appearance is secured. It is to be noted that the magnifying effect of the lens and the defusing effect of the corrugations 11 will not only at least partially obliterate the actual sharp lines existing defining the inner annular edges of the rings 4, 5 and 9 but will so soften these lines to the eye of the observer that they will entirely disappear, the effect being merely a gradual shading of color from a light field immediately surrounding the pupil to a dark ring on the edge of the iris. Moreover the distortion of lines of vision through the lens and through the corrugations will cause the rel- .atively dark parts of'this field to appear to approach nearer to the upil in some places i than in. 'others surroun ing the pupil, this structure.

also in accordance with changing points from As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope. of the inventionas defined in the fol lowing claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense. a

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An artificial eye comprising a body member, a lens member, means providing a pupil visible at the centre of said lens, a- "plurality of separately formed-circular meme are arranged concentrically with respect to the pupil behind said lensand each presenting a ring of diflerent color also visible through the lens, the lines 9f demarkation between said rings of different 'colors being visible throu h the lens and being undesirably sharply defined, and means comprised in the lens of a character to at least partially obliterate said lines of demarkation as viewed through said lens.

2. An artificial eye comprising a body member, a lens member, means providing a pupil visible at the centre of said lens, means providing color visible through the lens surrounding the pupilto thereby constitute an iris, said means consisting of a plurality of separately formed and concentrically arranged rings of coloring material, the lens having an annular edge part, the body having a corresponding annular edge part, said annular edge parts being both of celluloid, one of said mentioned concentric rings being of a dark colored celluloid and being disposed at the juncture between said mentioned annular edge parts, and said last mentioned ring and said annularedge parts all having a solvent applied thereto to hold said. parts assembled and provide a sharp line of color between the lens and the body.

3. An artificial eye comprising a spherically shaped body member havin an annular seat provided in its outer surface, a lens overlying said seat and attached to said body so as to complete the spherical contour of the outer surface of the body, a plurality of separately formed rings of transparent colorlng material arranged concentrically within said lens. which observations are made. The appearseat, -said rings bein of; difie'rent 'radial widths and being visi 1e throu h said lens to constitute the iris and pupil ormingmeans visible through It e central portion of the '5 4. artificial eyecom a sphericalf-ly shapedbodymember aving an annular seat provided in its outer surface, a 'lens overlying said seat and-attached to said body so as to com letthes herical contour of the outer sur ace of the ody, a plurality of separately formed rings of transparenticoloring material arranged concentrically within said seat, said rings bein of diflerent radial widths and being visi le through said lens to constitute the iris, means comprised in the lens of a character to at least partially obliterate the marginal ed es of said rings,

and pupil forming means visible through the central portion of the lens. a

5. An artificial eye comprising a spherically shaped body member having an annular seat provided in its outer su'rface,a lens overlying'said seat and attached to 'saidbody so as to complete the spherical contour of the outer surface of the body, a plurality of separately'formed rings of transparent coloring material arranged concentrically within said seat, said rings being of different radial widths and being visible through said lens to constitute the iris, means comprised in the lens of a character to at lea artially obliterate the marginal edges of sald rings, pupil forming means visible through the central portion of the lens, and means com rised in the lens of a character to render indefinite the marginal edges of said pupil forming ing behind the lens and visible therethrough to thereby assist the lens as iris forming means, said rings being of different proportions so that inner annular parts-of some thereof are exposed within the. inner mar gins of others as viewed through the lens.

7. An artificial eye comprising a ,body' member, a lens member, means providing a pupil visible at the centre of said lens mem ber, and a plurality of separately formed rings of differently colored material, said 'rings being arranged concentrically with respect to each other-and to the pupil and being behindthe lens and visible therethrough to thereby assist the lens as iris formingv means, said rings being at least partially transparent and said rings being superposed so as to provide 'a'cumulative coloring effect visible through said lens.

8,. In an artificial eye comprising a body member, a lens member, means providing a pupil visible at the centre of the lens member, and the rear surface oi the lens member surrounding the pupil being radially cor- 5 rugated the combination therewith of a p11 raht of separately formed rings of difierently co ored material said rings being arranged concentrically with respect to each other and to the upil and being arranged behind the 0 lens an visible through the corrugated por- 1 tion of the lens so that the colors of the different rings are made to blend into each other as viewed through the lens.

, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

15 SAMUEL MARCUS. 

